Saurabh Malik
Chandigarh, June 28
Less than a week after the Punjab government’s excise policy for 2022-23 came under judicial scrutiny, a vacation bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday put the state on notice.
A division bench of Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu and Justice Vikas Suri made it clear that all allotments would be subject to the decision of the writ petition.
Among other things, the excise policy has been sought to be scrapped on the ground that it is “unjust and arbitrary”.
During the hearing, the bench was told that it was an attempt to monopolize the liquor industry in the state in favor of “a handful of institutions”.
The petition states that the new policy has eluded the interests of “marginalized wholesalers/retailers seeking L-1 and L-2 licences”.
Senior advocate DS Patwalia and advocate Gauravjit Singh Patwalia, appearing for Aakash Enterprises and other petitioners, argued that revenue of about Rs 6,158 crore was generated through the excise policy for 2021-2022.
It was renewed and extended for three months till June 30, before the excise policy was issued by the respondents till March 2023.
The revenue generation was pegged at Rs 9,647.85 crore. But the policy “suffers from various shortcomings”.
Respondents later issued a corrigendum, increasing the maximum number of retail clusters that can be allotted to a unit from three to five, “furthering the intention to monopolize the liquor industry in the hands of a few resourceful bidders.” enhances”.
Patwalia said various amendments were made in the excise policy, mainly related to the security to be deposited by the bidder and the time limit during which a single entity was required to pay the installments.